


Counting Nothing

by Skye



Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-24
Updated: 2008-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-04 19:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye/pseuds/Skye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a different world, Rika is the first to find Satoko counting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting Nothing

"Rika, don't go," Hanyuu begged.

"You not telling me anything only makes me want to go more," Rika spoke to her ghostly friend as she walked down the path.

"Just trust me, nothing good can come from this," Hanyuu said.

"And how would you know any better than me, Hanyuu?" Rika asked fiercely, pausing only a moment to glare to her side. She felt neither better nor worse as Hanyuu disappeared from beside her, and only steadfastly walked forward, only bothering to shout a cheerful and loud "Good afternoon. Ni-pah!" after she had opened the door.

No one responded. Rika threw her excuse for coming by, a bag of Satoko's clothing, on the table, and went to look around. "Satoko, where are you? Mii?" Rika continued to shout as she opened the door to every room, before hearing the sound of water.

Rika immediately went to the bathroom, and seeing Satoko's uniform on the ground, shouted, "Satoko, you there?" quickly before entering the bath.

Sure enough, through all the steam, Rika found saw Satoko's figure slumped over the side, muttering something.

"Satoko!" Rika called urgently, running over to her. Satoko continued to mumble, even as Rika shook her and called her again.

"Four-thousand, nine-hundred-"

"Satoko, stop!" Rika shouted, pulling Satoko upright.

"Rika, what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing, that's the important question!"

"Punishment," Satoko said.

Rika felt a creepy feeling without hearing the usual "game" attached to this word. "What kind?"

"Counting... ten-thousand."

"Get out of here, now," Rika ordered, dropping her usual facade.

"I can't. Uncle will..."

"And where is he? Your bastard uncle," Rika asked, gripping onto Satoko even tighter.

"I don't know," Satoko said. "Four-thousand..." she continued.

"I'll kill him," Rika muttered as she stepped to the door. Slamming the door completely open, she realized the limits of her own force. She could understand why Keiichi and others had killed Satoko's uncle before, but unlike them, she was a human with a small, weak body who could think clearly, and perhaps consider a different solution. She'd come to see Satoko, right? The best thing she could do was to just help Satoko, here and now.

"Satoko," Rika began. "I know you think you're making things up to Satoshi somehow by enduring your uncle's treatment, but you really don't need to do this. Satoshi wouldn't want it. You're a brave person. Your brother's the weakling, he's the one who left."

"Stop," Satoko managed to say. "Don't say another word against him, Rika."

"It's the truth. You have to listen-"

"I don't you to stop. I'm a horrible child, I deserve this. When Nii Nii comes back... When Nii Nii comes back..."

"What if he never comes back? Will you live like this forever? Even though he abandoned you, I know he didn't wish this on you."

"Leave me alone Rika," Satoko tearfully pleaded. "I have to finish this. Just go away."

Rika sighed, feeling like crying herself. Even the upfront method didn't work. Why was Satoko so determined... But of course she knew why, she'd just described Satoko's flawed logic aloud.

"Three.. thousand..." Satoko counted.

Rika put her own uniform to the side before climbing into the hot bath. "It was four-thousand," she reminded.

"Four-thousand, nine-hundred..." Satoko continued, Rika now counting along with her.

Rika held Satoko's warm, wet hands as they counted. If she couldn't free Satoko from her madness, perhaps she could show some caring by not allowing her to suffer alone, Rika considered. If this meaningless, menial task was so important to Satoko, she'd be sure to stay by her side, and even finish it for her when she was unable.


End file.
